Differences Between Traffic Infractions and Offenses

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Denver personal injury attorney Gabriel Schwartz has represented clients involved in auto accidents and moving violations. As co-founder of the Denver law firm, Justice for Colorado, Gabriel Schwartz focuses on traffic ticket cases for multiple types of traffic violations.

In Colorado, traffic violations are divided into two categories: offenses and infractions. Infractions are the less serious of the two and, as a result, do not result in jail time. Yet, infractions can also range in severity.

Class A infractions, such as running a red light or tailgating, can add points to a driver’s license in addition to a fine. However, driving without a seatbelt and other Class B infractions only result in fines. Meanwhile, traffic offenses carry fines, possible jail time, and increase insurance points.

Like infractions, offenses are divided into hierarchical categories, with Class 1 offenses ranked as more serious. Class 1 offenses include negligence resulting in injury and driving without insurance, and can result in up to one year in jail. Class 2 offenses, such as reckless driving, can be punished by a fine of up to $300 or 90 days of jail time.

How Much Are Speeding Tickets in Colorado?

A graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Gabriel Schwartz practices personal injury and criminal defense law through Justice for Colorado. As president of the Denver firm, Gabriel Schwartz is particularly focused on handling driving citations, such as speeding tickets.

Speeding violations in Colorado are generally divided into three categories: Class A, Class 2, and Class 1 offenses. Of the three, Class A violations are the least serious. They are given when a driver is going between 1 and 24 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Drivers who exceed 25 miles per hour over the limit are given a Class 2 traffic offense. These are misdemeanor offenses, whereas Class A violations are infractions.

Finally, Class 1 traffic violations are reserved for speeding in construction zones. These offenses are misdemeanors, and are given when drivers are going 25 miles per hour or more over the limit in a construction zone.

The actual penalty for speeding varies depending on how fast a driver was going. If they only exceeded the speed limit by one to four miles per hour, their ticket may only be around $36. This increases to more than $230 when drivers are going up to 24 miles per hour over the limit.

Once speeding violations become misdemeanors, they often include both a fine and some jail time. This is reflective of the fact that misdemeanor speeding violations are more serious than speeding infractions. In most cases, the minimum penalty for going 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit is a $150 fine and 10 days in jail. This increases to a maximum of $1,000 fine and 1 year in jail depending on both the driver’s speed and their history of speeding offenses.